Finger supports and gloves incorporating the same

Abstract

A finger brace is configured for disposition about a lengthwise portion of a human finger between a brace proximal and distal ends. When installed for bracing, the proximal end is anchored at least partially about the outer side of the finger at a location behind the PIP joint. The distal end includes a shank configured for coextension along a lengthwise portion of the outer side of the finger between the PIP joint and the finger nail. Situated between and connecting the support proximal and distal ends is a PIP-joint support that at least partially encircles and supports the PIP joint. In various configurations, a finger brace is incorporated into each glove finger of a sports glove to define a larger overall finger support system. The shanks may be articulated to promote finger bending while preventing rearward hyperextension.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A finger brace configured for disposition about and along a lengthwise portion of a human finger including a finger outer side, a finger inner side, finger lateral sides, a PIP joint and a fingertip bearing a finger nail, the finger brace comprising:
 a brace proximal end configured for situating at least partially about the finger at a location behind the PIP joint and on the finger outer side;   a brace distal end including an elongated shank configured for coextension along a lengthwise portion of the finger outer side between the PIP joint and the finger nail; and   a PIP-joint support extending between and connecting the support proximal and distal ends, and configured to at least partially encircle and support the PIP joint while allowing the PIP joint to bend.   
     
     
         2 . The finger brace of  claim 1  wherein the PIP-joint support comprises opposing helical first and second bands configured such that, when the finger brace is properly installed about the finger, the first and second helical bands mutually cooperate such that
 (i) each of the first and second bands encircles at least a portion of the finger; 
 (ii) the first and second bands cross one another at a band-crossing point located to the 
 inside of the PIP joint on the finger inner side; and 
 (iii) as viewed from a lateral finger side, the first and second bands mutually diverge away from the band-crossing point and toward the non-palm-side of the hand to locations situated on the finger outer side and behind and forward of the PIP joint. 
 
     
     
         3 . The finger brace of  claim 2  incorporated into a finger support system, the finger support system further comprising a glove including a glove finger configured for insertion of the finger and the finger brace installed about the finger, the glove finger having glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces and defined therethrough a transverse slot through which the shank of the finger brace protrudes for disposition to the glove-finger exterior along the finger outer side forward of the PIP joint with a portion of the glove finger situated between the shank and the finger outer side, thereby facilitating a user's adjustment of the finger brace about the finger by means of the shank without requiring removal of the glove. 
     
     
         4 . The finger support system of  claim 3  wherein the shank of the finger brace is secured to the glove-finger exterior surface one of (i) temporarily and (ii) permanently. 
     
     
         5 . The finger support system of  claim 4  wherein the shank of the finger brace is secured temporarily to the glove-finger exterior surface by at least one of (i) tape, (ii) an elastic band, and (iii) a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The finger brace of  claim 1  incorporated into a finger support system, the finger support system further comprising a glove including a glove finger configured for insertion of the finger and the finger brace installed about the finger, the glove finger having glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces and defined therethrough a transverse slot through which the shank of the finger brace protrudes for disposition over and to the glove-finger exterior along the finger outer side forward of the PIP joint with a portion of the glove finger situated between the shank and the outer side of the finger, thereby facilitating a user's adjustment of the finger brace about the finger by means of the shank without requiring removal of the glove. 
     
     
         7 . The finger support system of  claim 6  wherein the shank of the finger brace is secured temporarily to the glove-finger exterior surface by at least one of (i) tape, (ii) an elastic band, and (iii) a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     
     
         8 . The finger brace of  claim 1  incorporated into a finger support system, the finger support system further comprising a glove including a glove finger having glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces and defined therethrough a transverse slot through which the shank of the finger brace protrudes for disposition to the glove-finger exterior, wherein the finger brace is secured to at least one of the glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces with the PIP-joint support aligned and oriented within the glove finger such that the glove can be placed on a user's hand, and the finger to be braced inserted into the proximal end of the finger brace, until the PIP joint is situated for support within the PIP-joint support. 
     
     
         9 . The finger brace of  claim 2  incorporated into a finger support system, the finger support system further comprising a glove including a glove finger having glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces and defined therethrough a transverse slot through which the shank of the finger brace protrudes for disposition to the glove-finger exterior, wherein the finger brace is secured to at least one of the glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces with the PIP-joint support aligned and oriented within the glove finger such that the glove can be placed on a user's hand, and the finger to be braced inserted into the proximal end of the finger brace, until the PIP joint is situated for support within the PIP-joint support. 
     
     
         10 . A finger brace configured for disposition about and along a lengthwise portion of a human finger including an outer side, an inner side, a PIP joint and a fingertip bearing a finger nail, the finger brace, when properly situated on the finger, comprising:
 a brace proximal end situated at least partially about the finger at a location behind the PIP joint and on the outer side of the finger;   a brace distal end extending forwardly of the brace proximal end toward the fingertip;   a PIP-joint support extending between and connecting the support proximal and distal ends, and configured to at least partially encircle and support the PIP joint while allowing the PIP joint to bend; and   an elongated shank coextending along a lengthwise portion of the outer side of the finger between the PIP joint and the finger nail, the elongated shank having a shank outside surface and a shank inside surface opposite the shank outside surface and more proximate the outer side of the finger than is the shank outside surface, wherein
 (a) the shank is articulated such that the shank outside surface is defined by a plurality of mutually adjacent armor segments separated by grooves, each armor segment including an outwardly-facing segment top surface and segment front and rear surfaces, each of which segment front and rear surfaces defines a portion of one of the grooves separating the armor segment of which it forms a part from an adjacent armor segment; and 
 (b) the armor segments and grooves are configured and mutually situated such that the finger supported by the shank can bend forward toward the palm but is prevented from bending backward beyond a predetermined extent by action of the mutual contacting engagement of the segment front and rear surfaces of neighboring armor segments. 
   
     
     
         11 . The finger brace of  claim 10  wherein the PIP-joint support comprises opposing helical first and second bands configured such that, when the finger brace is properly installed about the finger, the first and second helical bands mutually cooperate such that
 (i) each of the first and second bands encircles at least a portion of the finger; 
 (ii) the first and second bands cross one another at a band-crossing point located to the inside of the PIP joint on the inner side of the finger; and 
 (iii) as viewed from a side, the first and second bands mutually diverge away from the band-crossing point along a lengthwise portion of the finger and toward the outer side of the finger to locations situated on the outer side of the finger and behind and forward of the PIP joint. 
 
     
     
         12 . The finger brace of  claim 11  wherein the shank originates from the brace proximal end at a location behind the PIP joint and extends forwardly over the PIP joint toward the finger nail. 
     
     
         13 . The finger brace of  claim 12  incorporated into a finger support system, the finger support system further comprising a glove including a plurality of glove fingers, each glove finger configured for insertably receiving a human finger and having glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces, the glove-finger exterior surface defining glove-finger upper and lower surfaces corresponding to, respectively, the outer and inner sides of a human finger inserted therein, wherein one of the glove fingers carries the finger brace such that at least the shank of the finger brace is disposed along the outer side of the human finger. 
     
     
         14 . The finger support system of  claim 13  wherein at least a portion of at least one of the shank and the PIP-joint support is disposed along the glove-finger upper surface. 
     
     
         15 . The finger brace of  claim 10  incorporated into a finger support system, the finger support system further comprising a glove including a plurality of glove fingers, each glove finger configured for insertably receiving a human finger and having glove-finger interior and exterior surfaces, the glove-finger exterior surface defining glove-finger upper and lower surfaces corresponding to, respectively, the outer and inner sides of a human finger inserted therein, wherein one of the glove fingers carries the finger brace such that at least the shank of the finger brace is disposed along the outer side of the human finger. 
     
     
         16 . The finger support system of  claim 15  wherein at least a portion of at least one of the shank and the PIP-joint support is disposed on the glove-finger exterior surface. 
     
     
         17 . The finger support system of  claim 16  wherein the glove finger is the PIP-joint support. 
     
     
         18 . The finger support system of  claim 16  wherein
 (i) the glove includes a glove-palm side and a glove-back side corresponding to, respectively, the glove-finger lower and upper surfaces of the plural glove fingers; and 
 (ii) the glove-palm side and glove-finger lower surfaces have applied thereto an over-layer of hand-protective padding. 
 
     
     
         19 . The finger support system of  claim 18  wherein the hand-protective padding layer comprises at least one of (i) foam, (ii) rubber, (iii) a polymeric material, (iv) genuine leather, (v) synthetic leather, and (vi) a gel. 
     
     
         20 . The finger brace of  claim 15  wherein each of at least two of the glove fingers carries the finger brace such that at least the shank of the finger brace is disposed along the outer side of the human finger insertably received by each of the at least two brace-carrying glove fingers.